Electric toaster with detachable doors



Feb. 9; 1931. 4 J; agGbueH 2,070,534

ELECTRIC MASTER WITH DETACHABLE .DOORS F jApm 2311936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC TOASTER WITH DETACHABLE DOORS Application April 2? 1936, Serial No. 75,936

20 Claims.

My invention relates to the class of electric toasters for household use in which the electric heating member is supported by a base, in which a cap-like shell houses this heating member and 5 has a doorway in each side, in which a hinged door normally-closes each of these doorways, and

in which the terminals for the. heating member are disposed within the said cap-like shell.

In one of its major objects, my invention aims 10 to provide an unusually simple, inexpensive and concealed arrangement of the door-hinging provisions and of the door-closing spring which will permit a convenient detaching of the doors without the use of tools and which will avoid difficulties frequently encountered with the door heretofore employed doorr-ifvoting provisions and door-closing springs.

In a further major object, my invention aims to provide a heater terminal carrier to which the current-supply cord-can readily extend through an end of the cap-like'shell; also, to construct this terminal carrier so that it can be manually attached to the base of the toaster and so that the subsequent attaching of the shell to the said base will thereafter prevent this terminal carrier from being detached. 1

Illustrative of the manner in which I accomplish these objects, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric toaster embodying my invention.

30 Fig. 2 is an enlarged and fragmentary horizontal section, taken along the line 2-'2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are similarly enlarged and fragmentary vertical sections, taken respectively along the lines 3--3 and 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section allied to Fig. 4, but taken when the partly illustrated door was swung to its fully open extent.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a lower corner portion of a door.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom view of the master, and Fig. 8 a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line ii-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an'enlarged plan view of one of the door-closingsprings, showing this as it appears when detached from the toaster.

Fig. 10 is an end view of the same spring, with dotted lines showing how the spring is'changed in end-viewwhen attached to the toaster base and one of the doors. i Fig; 11 is an enlarged vertical section, {taken along the line I I through the terminal carrier and partsassociat'ed with the latter.

tive view of the terminal carrier alone.

55 In the illustrated toaster, the base member Fig. "i2'is a similarly enlarged interior perspec (c1. sa

comprises a base top T having feet-carrying flanges .F depending from its periphery to afford a space below that base for housing both hinging hook arms on the door of-the toaster and. door-closing springs associated with thesehook arms. The said base top has its central portion T depressed to a lower elevation than the surrounding frame-like part T and connected to the latter part by riser portions '1' (Fig. 2), and the part of each such riser portion opposite the middle of the lower end of each door D' of the toaster is provided with a slot 8 (Figs. 2 and 3) for receiving the bight of one of the hereafter described door-closing springs.

Seated on the outer and higher frame-like portion T of the base top is a flattened cap-like shell S which is fastened to the base top in any usual manner. Each longitudinal side of this shell has a doorway which extends to the lower edge of that side, this doorway being normally spanned and closed by a door D which has the usual inwardly directed side edge flanges I. Each door also has laterally extending'handle-carrying brackets 3 disposed intermediate of the height of the door and normally bearing against the portions of the. adjacent shell side to limit the inward swinging of the door.

To pivot each door to the toaster base, provide each side flange l on the door with downwardly and thereafter outwardly extending hook H which hook preferably has the forward edge of its upper end spaced rearwardly from the general plane of the door and which hook is provided near its free end with a spring-end receiving perforation 4. Then I provide the elevated base top portion T with two-slots 5 extending at right angles to the general plane of the doorway, through each of which slots one of the hooks H on the door extends. Each of these slots may be slightly wider than the corresponding hook on the adjacent door, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, for enabling the side flanges I onthe door to slide freely between the riser edges of the doorway.

However, each slot 5 preferably corresponds substantially in length to the width (25 in Fig. 5)

of the corresponding hook, so that the two hooks guide the door for swinging about an axis corresponding substantially with the lower end of the doorway. i g

,I'o' preventany sharp lower edge portions of the door from scraping on the base top during the swinging of the door, I preferably make the usual inwardly recurved bread-supporting extension E at the lower end of each door narrower than the width of the door and form the door so the said extension are at higher elevation than the curved connection of the lower end of the door to the said bread-supporting door extension.

By doing so, I allow this downwardly convexed door portion to rock on the base top of the toaster and also to slide lightly on that base top to ease the swinging of the door while leaving the door definitely guided through the co-operative action of the hooks H and the slots throigh which these hooks extend.

To'hold each door normally closed, I provide each hook H near its free end, and desirably near the inward edge of that free end, with a perforation having its axis parallel to the lower end of the doorway so that the perforations in the two hooks on each door aline with each other. Then I provide a generally V-shaped spring 1 (Figs. 9 and 10) formed of a wire slightly smaller in diameter than the perforationsfi, this spring being of greater length than the spread of the two hooks on the door and having its medial portion la bent to a sharper angle than its main portion, and the said medial portion having its general plane at an oblique angle to that of the main spring arms i, as shown in Fig. 10.

With the said angles suitably formed, each such spring when it first has its free end portions snapped respectively through the two hook bores A on one door of an inverted toaster will lie approximately as shown by the dotted lines lb in Fig. 7, namely with the bight of the spring engaging the bottom of the depressed toaster base portion T. When the bight of the spring then is digitally pressed in a direction toward the common axis of the bores 4 through which the ends of the spring extend, this bight can readily be snapped through the adjacent slot 8 in the toaster base top, in doing which the angle between the parts i and 1a. is changed (as comparatively shown in Fig. 10), and the spring is placed under a torsional tension for urging both door hooks H both downwardly and toward the adjacent toaster base flange F (Fig. 4).

Consequently, each such simple spring presses the corresponding door downwardly against the base top of the toaster and also yieldingly resists a swinging movement of the door, since the door can only be opened by a pull suflicient for flexing thespring from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 to the spring arm position shown by the dotted lines la in that figure. However, if a door needs to be detached, each spring can readily have its bight snapped out of the corresponding basetop slot 8, after which the spring ends can readily be snapped out of the door hooks to permit the opened door to be lifted freely ofl the touter base.

As a conveniently assembled and inexpensive provision for connecting the ends of a. currentsupply cord l2 to the'high resistance wire In of the heating member of the toaster, which member is shown in Fig. 2 as comprising two upright sheets M of mica on which the said wire is wound, I proceed as follows:

First, I provide a channel-sectioned terminal carrier formed (as in Fig. 12) of sheet metal, which carrier includes triangular channel webs C adapted to seat on the base top, and a sloping channel back 0 having two outwardly embossed annular portions each surrounding a bore for receiving a. bolt l5. The free edges of the channel webs are sloped to fit against one end S,

a slot it near its lower end for receiving the shank of an insulating bushing ll.

Each channel web C has a downwardly projecting hook C near the edge of that web facing the adjacent shell side S of the toaster shell, with the hook opening away from that shell side. To receive these hooks, the toaster base is provided with two suitably spaced slots l8, each slightly longer than the hook portions of the said hooks, so thus allowing the terminal carrier to have the hooks inserted downwardly through the said slots, (before the shell is attached to the base), after which this carrier can be slid (toward the left in Fig. 11) so that the hook fingers underhang the base top T However, before thus attaching the terminal carrier to the toaster base I place an insulating washer l9 within each embossed portion C of this carrier and an insulating'plate 20 for effectively increasing the thickness of this washer. Then I fasten each terminal ll of the cord l2 to one of the said embossed portions of the terminal carrier by the aforesaid bolt l5, which bolt also extends through two insulating washers 22 disposed outside the terminal carrier, and through an interposed terminal ill at the corresponding end of the high resistance wire.

In practice, the current-supply cord preferably is formed with a. knot near its said terminals, which knot will engage the fianged inner end of the insulating bushing H to prevent that bushing from sliding inwardly of the toaster shell. With the parts thus assembled, the cord l2 does not need to be disposed below the base top, and no terminal-housing shield is required below this base top.

However, while I have heretofore described my invention inconnection with an embodiment including numerous desirable details of construction and arrangement, many changes might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric toaster comprising a base, a caplike shell fastened to the top of the said base and having a. side thereof provided with a doorway reaching to the base, and a door normally spanning the said doorway; the door having a lower edge portion seated on the top of the base,

and adapted to rock outwardly of the shell on the said base top; the door and the said base top having interengaging parts arranged for preventing a material shifting of the said lower door edge with respect to the said base during such rocking; and spring means interposed between the base and the door part of the said interengaging portions for continually urging the door to its doorway spanning position.

2. An electric toaster as per claim 1, in which the said spring means are also arranged for continually pressing the door downward against the base.

3. An electric toaster as per claim 1, .in which the said spring means are disposed below the said base top.

4. An electric toaster as per claim '1, in which the said spring means are disposed belowthe said base top and are digitally releasable from their operative disposition.

5. An electric toaster comprising .a base, a caplike shell fastened to the top of the said base and having a side thereof provided with a doorway reaching to the base, and a door normally spanning the said doorway; the door having a lower edge portion seated upon, and adapted to rock on, the top of the said base; the base top having a slot disposed inward of and" near each side edge of the door and extending at right angles to the general plane of the said doorway; the door havingfla finger extending'continually through and slidably fitting the said slot, the said finger being curved man are having its axis approximately in the line along which the base top is intercepted by the general plane of the doorway.

6. An electric toaster as per claim 5, in which the door has spaced portions thereof respectively disposed for engaging the said shell side and the base top to limit the swinging movement of the door respectively in its opening and closing directions.

7. An electric toaster as per claim 5, including a spring disposed below the said base top and operatively interposed between the said base and of the said finger for continuously, urging the door to its doorway-spanning position, and for continuously pressing the door downwardly against the said base top.

8. An electric toaster comprising a base, a cap like shell fastened to the top of the said base and having a side thereof provided with a door- Way reaching to the base; a door normally spanning the said doorway; the door having a lower edge portion seated on and adapted to rock on the top of the said base; the base top having two slots extending at right angles to the plane of the doorway, the said slots being disposed inward of and respectively opposite the two side edges of the door, and the door having two curved fingers extending downwardly respectively-,through the said slots; a spring disposed below the said base top and operatively interposed between the said base and the lower end portions of both of the said fingers, the said spring being constructed and disposed for continuously urging thedoor to its doorway-spanning position and also continuously pressing door downward against the said base.

(its axis approximately coincident with lower edge portion ofthe door. i

11. An electric toaster as per claim 8, in'which the spring is a generally V-shaped wire spring.

,9. An' electric toaster as per claim 8, in which the spring is. digitally releasable from the said fingers to permit a detaching ofthe shell from the said base.

10. An electric toaster as per claim-8, inwhich each of the said fingers is curved in an archaving having its bight releasably interlocked with the base top and its free end portions releasably interlocked respectively with the said two fingers.

12. An electric toaster as per claim-8, inwhich the said fingers havealined bores in portions of the fingers disposed, below the said base top; and in which the spring isformed of wire and of a generally V-shaped form, thespring having its end portions extending respectively through the said bores and having its bight in upward engage-' ment with the said base top.

13. An electric toaster as per claim 8, in which the spring is formed of wire and of a generally doorway; and in which the base top has a slot the said v normally entered by the said bight and from which slot the bight can be withdrawn when the spring is digitally flexed.

l 15. An electric toaster as per claim 8, in which the spring is formed of wire and of a generally V-shaped form and disposed with its bight directed inwardly of the toaster away from the said doorway; and in which the base top has a slot normally entered by the said bight and from which slot the bight can be withdrawn when the spring is digitally flexed, the base top having a depressed portion adjoined to the top part which.

doorway; and in which the base top has a slot normally entered by the said bight and from which slot the bight can be withdrawn when the spring is digitally fiexed, the spring-being initially so formed that it must be flexed for interlocking its bight with the said slot art-er the spring ends have been interlockedwith the said fingers, whereby the said flexing places the spring V under a tension tending toclose the door.

17. An electric toaster comprising abase, a'

cap-like shell fastened to thetop of the said base and having a side thereof provided with a door: way reaching to the base; a door normally spanning the said doorway; the door having a lower the doorway, the said slots being disposed inward of and respectively opposite the two side edges of the door, and the door having two curved fingers extending downwardly respectively through the said slots; the saidfingers have alined bores in portions of the fingers disposed below the said base top; and a V-shaped spring having its end portions extending respectively through-the said bores and having its bight in upward engagement with, the said base top, the spring being formed for continually urging ,the door both downward against the base and toward its doorway-spanning position; and they base top having a portion thereof in downward engagement with the-said bight of spring and at such elevation I with respect to the said upwardly engaged base top -portion that the extending of the spring ends through the said bores in the fingers places the spring under a tension for causing the spring continuously to urge the door toward its doorwayspanning position.

18. An electric toaster comprising a base, a caplike shell fastened to the top of the base and having a side thereof provided with a doorway reaching downwardly to the base, and a door normally spanning the said doorway; the, door 1 having a lower part thereof recurved inwardly of the shell to present a convex surface facing and seated upon the base for enabling the door to rock freely upon the said base during an outward swinging of the door.

19. Anelectric toaster comprising a hollow base, a cap-like shell seatedupon and fastened to the top of the base, the said base having two parallel slots extending at right angles to the general plane of the doorway, and each adjacent to one lateral edge of the doorway; and a door normally spanning the doorway and having two fingers extending inwardly of the toaster respectively from the lower portions of the opposite edge portion seated on and adapted to rock' on the top of the said base,the base top having two 'slots extending at right angles to the plane of sides of the door, each such finger being downwardly curved and extending slidably through one of the said slots; the door also having a lower part thereof, disposed between the said fingers, recurved to present a segmental tubular portion convexed toward and engaging the .base so that the door can roll freely on the base during the outward swinging of the door. v

20. An electric toaster as per claim 19, in which the base top has a part thereof projecting outwardly of the toaster beyond the said doorway; and a spring disposed below the said base top and operatively interposed between at least one of the said fingers and the said base for continually urging the door toward its doorwayspanning position, the spring having a. part thereof disposed for engaging a portion of the base to 5 supporting the door when the latter is fully 1 opened.

JAMES J. GOUGH. 

